I Actually Doubted This Child, I'm Truly Not a Thing

After the family banquet ended, Orochimaru lay on his chair, using chakra to metabolize some of the alcohol in his body before his senses slightly returned.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi drinking hangover soup with a gentle smile and chatting happily with Qingguang, he proactively stood up, "Teacher Sarutobi, Tsunade, and Qingguang-kun, this drink was too strong. I'll head back to rest."

What a shame. He had wanted to probe Qingguang's attitude today, but he forgot about Teacher Sarutobi.

He didn't get a chance to speak with Qingguang alone, so he'd have to wait for next time.

Tsunade spread her arms and leaned against the sofa, lifting her head that had been leaning back. She nodded fuzzily.

Seeing Orochimaru preparing to leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi also swayed as he stood up.

Qingguang quickly stepped forward to support him, "Uncle Hiruzen, be careful."

Hearing Qingguang call him that, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt incredibly happy. It had been a long time since Qingguang had called him that.

"Good, good. I'm getting old. If this were in the past, this amount of alcohol wouldn't have gotten me drunk. I'm getting old~"

"Qingguang, please help me back."

"You're only in your early forties, in your prime. Your peak strength can at least be maintained for another ten years. How can you be old?"

These words truly struck a chord with Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the smile on his face became even brighter.

"Haha, that's true. But after ten years, the village will depend on you young people~"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's drunken rambling annoyed Tsunade, who had wanted to rest. She waved her hand, "Qingguang, hurry up and take this old man back. He's clearly had too much to drink."

"At your age, you still want to compete with me in drinking. Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

"Hurry back. Remember to use chakra to dispel the alcohol, so your wife doesn't nag you again."

With that, Tsunade stood up and stumbled towards her room.

Near the doorway, Qingguang turned back to bid farewell to Nawaki and Kushina, "You two can also come to the wedding with Big Sister to have fun."

Upon hearing this, Kushina and Nawaki immediately jumped up with joy, their faces full of excitement.

Leaving Tsunade's house, the autumn night breeze carried a hint of coolness. Maple leaves drifted down from the trees, dancing under the moonlight.

This perfectly pleasant coolness made Hiruzen Sarutobi much more sober. The two walked slowly down the street.

"Qingguang, thank you for your hard work with the Uchiha matters recently."

"Compared to you managing the entire village, this bit of hardship is nothing."

"And it's not just me. Brother Fugaku, Yashiro, Hikari, they are all promoting changes in the clan too. I'm just playing the role of a leader."

"The credit doesn't belong to me; it belongs to everyone."

Qingguang's words made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel a sense of déjà vu. These were words he had heard in his childhood.

The person who had spoken them was none other than the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand and patted Qingguang's shoulder, his emotions a mix of feelings. He suddenly felt like he hadn't been a good person.

When Qingguang first discovered the problem with the village's medicine, he had thought the boy was overstepping his bounds by investigating. It turned out Qingguang had discovered it through meticulous observation of the villagers.

Although Qingguang didn't know about this, it still made him feel apologetic. He had actually doubted this child...

"Tell me about it. I also want to hear about what you've been doing with the clan and your people during this time."

Qingguang patiently recounted everything in detail.

Hiruzen Sarutobi even slowed his pace. Listening to the deeds Qingguang described, he increasingly felt like he saw the shadow of the former Hokage.

Not as carefree as him, but equally caring for others.

"We're here. You go in. Aunt Biwako is waiting for you at the door."

From afar, Qingguang could see Hiruzen Biwako standing at the door with a displeased expression.

But when Biwako saw Qingguang, she immediately broke into a smile and stepped forward.

"Qingguang, thank you for your hard work. It's getting late, you should go back and rest early."

Qingguang smiled and nodded.

Watching Biwako pull Hiruzen Sarutobi's arm, she led him into the house.

"You old fool, walking like you can't move at forty-something, and you need this child to help you back?"

"What airs you put on! Is being Hokage that great?"

"And what did I tell you before I left? Drink less! Why do you reek of alcohol? I don't think you want to get better!"

Seeing this scene, Qingguang shrugged, smiled, and then went home.

The next morning.

At the Police Department, Qingguang had just opened his office door.

He saw Fugaku pacing back and forth with dark circles under his eyes, muttering, "What kind of method is it..."

"Brother Fugaku?"

Hearing Qingguang's voice, Fugaku startled, then snapped to his front, his face full of nervousness. "Qingguang, what method did you mention yesterday? I couldn't sleep all night thinking about it when I got back."

"Please, Brother, just tell me."

Fugaku looked like a reader who got cut off mid-chapter when they were engrossed in a book.

Qingguang smiled slyly. "It's simple. Last night, Big Sister had a family dinner, and Lord Hokage was there too."

"I brought Big Sister a jar of good wine and asked her to invite Lord Hokage when she attended the wedding."

"If Lord Hokage himself is attending this wedding, surely the clan heads of the other ninja clans won't be able to sit still?"

Fugaku's eyes widened, and he suddenly understood.

How could he have forgotten? He only knew Qingguang was adopted by Hiruzen Sarutobi and felt he had been wronged.

He hadn't realized at all what a brilliant halo being the Hokage's adopted son bestowed upon Qingguang in the village.

"Brilliant, brilliant!"

"Qingguang, you truly live up to your reputation!"

"I'll send people to deliver invitations to those ninja clans right away," Fugaku said, preparing to leave quickly.

But Qingguang grabbed him.

"Brother Fugaku, wait. It's not appropriate right now."

Fugaku froze, asking blankly, "Why isn't it appropriate?"

Perhaps it was because he hadn't slept all night, or maybe he wasn't as clever as Qingguang, but he couldn't see anything inappropriate.

Qingguang didn't explain, just shook his head slightly.

"We don't need to invite them anyway. They'll come on their own when the time comes, won't they?"

"That... seems to be the case..." Fugaku scratched his head.

If Lord Hokage was coming, how could they dare not?

But if they were all going to come anyway, why not send an invitation?

This...

For a moment, Fugaku felt a tickle at the tip of his head.

"Alright, Minister Fugaku, it's time to get to work. You should head back to your office now~"

Qingguang pushed Fugaku's shoulders from behind and closed the door.

Fugaku was left alone outside the door, pondering left and right, still unable to understand.

"Why is that...?"

The reason was actually very simple. Qingguang invited Hiruzen Sarutobi as a private matter; he was inviting Hiruzen Sarutobi, not the Hokage.

If it were publicized, Hiruzen Sarutobi might feel uncomfortable.

This invitation was a response to the private family mission Hiruzen Sarutobi had assigned to his clan, and it shouldn't be made public. It was a tacit understanding between the two, a silent agreement.